NEWS RELEASE: "Forcing Psychiatric Drugs Can Increase Violence," Warns New Task Force on Mental Health Legal Advocacy & Activism
For immediate release: NEWS RELEASE 4 March 2008Media
contacts:Krista Erickson - 541-345-9106 Daniel Hazen - 315-528-3385
krista@mindfreedom.org
dan@psychrights.org
"Forcing Psychiatric Drugs Can Increase Violence," Warns New Task Force on Mental Health Legal Advocacy & Activism
Promising to fight what they call pervasive and harmful violations of mental healthclients who are involuntarily drugged and electroshocked in the United States, TheLaw Project for Psychiatric Rights (PsychRights) and the MindFreedom Shield Campaignannounced today a joint Task Force on Mental Health Legal Advocacy & Activism. Thenew partnership of law and nonviolent direct action has an initial focus in thestates of California, Massachusetts and New York.
PsychRights' President Jim Gottstein declared, "People's rights in forced drugging proceedings are ignored as a matter of course, resulting in great harm to them anddecreased public safety." David Oaks, Director of MindFreedom International (MFI),noted, "Violence by a few individuals labeled 'mentally ill' has led to a backlashcalling for a massive increase in forced psychiatric drugging."
Mr. Gottstein added, "Contrary to public perception, forcing people to takepsychiatric drugs can often increase violence, rather than decrease it. If peoplewere warned that both taking and withdrawing from these drugs can at timescontribute to committing terrible acts, they and their loved ones can be alert tothe possibility and tragedies averted."
Krista Erickson, MFI board member and Chair of the MFI Shield Campaign, said, "I'mexcited about MFI and PsychRights expanding our partnership and focusing thecombined power of legal advocacy and activism on specific cases." The MFI ShieldCampaign supports the wishes of a member to be free of involuntary mental healthintervention with an international "Solidarity Network" of advocates. The new TaskForce plans to use both the court of law and the court of public opinion.
Task Force organizers say the combination of PsychRights' expertise for strategiclitigation and the "people power" of MindFreedom activists around the country willbring a synergy and geographic reach to their demands for people’s legal and humanrights. Daniel Hazen, Northeast Coordinator with PsychRights, added, "In the UnitedStates the 'mental health' industry is a labeling system that often dismisses self-determination, legal capacity and alternatives. 'Treatment' can be forced throughthe court systems. People ought to 'have their day in court' but this is often farfrom what actually occurs."
MFI is an independent nonprofit coalition defending human rights and promotinghumane alternatives in mental health. The Law Project for Psychiatric Rights is apublic interest law firm devoted to the defense of people facing what they call the"horrors of unwarranted forced psychiatric drugging and other forced psychiatricprocedures." PsychRights office is in Anchorage, Alaska: http://www.psychrights.org/. TheMFI office is in Eugene, Oregon: http://www.mindfreedom.org/
http://psychrights.org/PR/080304PsychRights-MFI-Shield.pdf
James B. (Jim) Gottstein, Esq.
President/CEO
Law Project for Psychiatric Rights
406 G Street, Suite 206
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
USA
Phone: (907) 274-7686)
Fax: (907) 274-9493
contacts:Krista Erickson - 541-345-9106 Daniel Hazen - 315-528-3385
krista@mindfreedom.org
dan@psychrights.org
"Forcing Psychiatric Drugs Can Increase Violence," Warns New Task Force on Mental Health Legal Advocacy & Activism
Promising to fight what they call pervasive and harmful violations of mental healthclients who are involuntarily drugged and electroshocked in the United States, TheLaw Project for Psychiatric Rights (PsychRights) and the MindFreedom Shield Campaignannounced today a joint Task Force on Mental Health Legal Advocacy & Activism. Thenew partnership of law and nonviolent direct action has an initial focus in thestates of California, Massachusetts and New York.
PsychRights' President Jim Gottstein declared, "People's rights in forced drugging proceedings are ignored as a matter of course, resulting in great harm to them anddecreased public safety." David Oaks, Director of MindFreedom International (MFI),noted, "Violence by a few individuals labeled 'mentally ill' has led to a backlashcalling for a massive increase in forced psychiatric drugging."
Mr. Gottstein added, "Contrary to public perception, forcing people to takepsychiatric drugs can often increase violence, rather than decrease it. If peoplewere warned that both taking and withdrawing from these drugs can at timescontribute to committing terrible acts, they and their loved ones can be alert tothe possibility and tragedies averted."
Krista Erickson, MFI board member and Chair of the MFI Shield Campaign, said, "I'mexcited about MFI and PsychRights expanding our partnership and focusing thecombined power of legal advocacy and activism on specific cases." The MFI ShieldCampaign supports the wishes of a member to be free of involuntary mental healthintervention with an international "Solidarity Network" of advocates. The new TaskForce plans to use both the court of law and the court of public opinion.
Task Force organizers say the combination of PsychRights' expertise for strategiclitigation and the "people power" of MindFreedom activists around the country willbring a synergy and geographic reach to their demands for people’s legal and humanrights. Daniel Hazen, Northeast Coordinator with PsychRights, added, "In the UnitedStates the 'mental health' industry is a labeling system that often dismisses self-determination, legal capacity and alternatives. 'Treatment' can be forced throughthe court systems. People ought to 'have their day in court' but this is often farfrom what actually occurs."
MFI is an independent nonprofit coalition defending human rights and promotinghumane alternatives in mental health. The Law Project for Psychiatric Rights is apublic interest law firm devoted to the defense of people facing what they call the"horrors of unwarranted forced psychiatric drugging and other forced psychiatricprocedures." PsychRights office is in Anchorage, Alaska: http://www.psychrights.org/. TheMFI office is in Eugene, Oregon: http://www.mindfreedom.org/
http://psychrights.org/PR/080304PsychRights-MFI-Shield.pdf
James B. (Jim) Gottstein, Esq.
President/CEO
Law Project for Psychiatric Rights
406 G Street, Suite 206
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
USA
Phone: (907) 274-7686)
Fax: (907) 274-9493
posted by clearinghouse at 3:40 PM
0 comments
links to this post
